Today In History

Maxwell Smart, a.k.a. Agent 86, works for CONTROL, a Washington, D.C.-based counterintelligence agency. Totally inept as a secret agent, Smart can barely use the gadgetry the agency provides him 'including a phone embedded in his shoe'. Nevertheless, he and his fellow agents always seem to thwart the operations of KAOS, an organized crime outfit dedicated to evil. Agent 99 is Smart's smarter partner, a resourceful agent who eventually marries her bumbling cohort. Smart and Agent 99's boss is a man known only as The Chief. Starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart | Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 | Edward Platt as The Chef.

To The Moon…Jackie Gleason - February 26, 1916 – June 24, 1987 - From Minnesota Fats in the 1961 drama ‘The Hustler’ with Paul Newman to his role as Buford T. Justice in the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ series and , of course, Ralph Kramden in ‘The Honeymooners’, John Herbert Gleason, better known as Jackie Gleason, won our hearts with his unique visual and verbal comedy style. Gleason grew up at 328 Chauncey St. in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. He later used that very same address for Ralph and Alice Kramden, characters on ‘The Honeymooners’. On December 15, 1925, Gleason’s father collected his hat, coat and paycheck, leaving the insurance company that he worked for and his family permanently. Gleason fought his way through a rough childhood and became interested in the arts. He soon began putting together acts with friend Sammy Birch and working as Master of Ceremonies on the New York club circuit. By age 24 Gleason was appearing in films such as ‘Navy Blues’ with Ann Sheridan and Martha Raye and ‘All Through the Night’ with Humphrey Bogart. His television career took off when he became one of the rotating hosts on DuMont's ‘Cavalcade of Star’s’ variety hour in 1950. Gleason added flashy dance numbers and character sketches to the show. He became so well known that CBS hired him on to host its variety hour in 1952. That show eventually changed its name to ‘The Jackie Gleason Show ‘and became the country's second-highest-rated television show during 1954–1955. Jackie Gleason kept his health problems private; he was known to smoke up to 4 packs of cigarettes a day and died of heart related problems on June, 24 1987. Gleason’s memorable characters will live on in American Culture for years to come. After all, how could we forget ‘Ralph Kramden’ and his infamous quote ‘To the Moon Alice’?

John F. Kennedy Defeats Richard Nixon in the First Presidential Debate in 1960 November 9, 1960 In a tumultuous campaign that was highlighted by the first televised presidential debate, John F. Kennedy a wealthy Democratic Senator from Massachusetts narrowly defeated Richard M. Nixon by 118,000 votes to become the thirty fifth president of the United States. A crucial factor and turning point in this election was the first ever televised presidential debate. Nixon felt poorly, he injured his knee on the way to the studio, and refused television makeup. He expected to win voters with his foreign-policy expertise, but people only saw a sickly man sweating profusely and wearing a gray suit that blended into the scenery. On the other hand his rival, Kennedy, looked great. The television audience gave the win to Kennedy.